


Heart of Gold

by Elysabeth



Category: Shingeki no Kyojin | Attack on Titan
Genre: A dangerous pan, Abusive Relationships, Agender Hange Zoë, Fairy Tale Parody, Jean is not paid enough for this shit, M/M, Mercenary Jean, Panic Attacks, SnK Secret Santa 2016, Tangled AU, Thief, Witch Hange Zoë
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2016-12-26
Updated: 2016-12-26
Packaged: 2018-09-12 11:29:15
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,736
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/9069544
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Elysabeth/pseuds/Elysabeth
Summary: Jean Kirschstein, a notorious mercenary, is hired by a witch to find a treasure. Instead, he finds a tower, a boy with too big and too bright eyes, and gets dragged to the ocean.





	

**Author's Note:**

  * For [Stroods](https://archiveofourown.org/users/Stroods/gifts).



> dear stroodlenoodles, i am so sorry for my lateness, my life has been quite hectic in the 2 weeks, and i have literally no self-control. my usual impulse control, meaning my friend, was swamped by the same exams as me, which did not help any of us
> 
> can you believe i signed for two secret santas, and almost signed up for a third
> 
> chapter 2 will come in the next few days, it is still in edit... i am a mess

_So, where should I start? Oh, with the basics, I suppose._

_Once upon a time, a drop of sun fell on Earth, and created a beautiful flower, the color of the burning sun. This flower had magical powers: it could heal anything and everything, and gave unimaginable powers to anyone who wished it so._

_Zeke, a prince of a neighborhood country, found the flower and devised a plan to create superhuman soldiers and expand his own kingdom. The usual bad guy stuff, you know. Fortunately, this story isn't about him, but he'll feature heavily in it._

_In a kingdom not far away, called the Maria Kingdom, the Queen was expecting a child, but she fell gravely ill. The inhabitants of the kingdom loved their Queen and their King... Proof that democracy hadn't crossed their mind yet... Ouch! Okay, nevermind democracy._

_So, the inhabitants of the kingdom loved their Queen, and they started to search for a miracle. Rumors of the flower came to a soldier of Maria, and they found it and got it back home. The flower healed the Queen, and a beautiful baby with golden eyes was born._

_They named him Eren._

_Zeke, furious and determined to get the power of the flower back, kidnapped Eren, and hid him away._

_In Maria, a myth traveled through the villages. Hidden behind a waterfall, a tower could be found, and it contained priceless treasure. Two decades after the prince was kidnapped, a witch came into possession of a map supposedly leading to this treasure. The watch hired a mercenary to-_

"Find this tower and bring me back the treasure," Hange ordered. "You will be paid a fair amount."

Jean side-eyes Berthold and Reiner. "We are three." Hange was already back to their books and hummed thoughtfully. They were clearly not paying attention, as always. "Hange, we are three. Will the reward be separated in three?"

Hange, hearing their name, raises their head, and blinks at them over their large and thick glasses. "Why are you still here? Didn't I tell your job already? The map is..."

They frown, looking around their desk. They shuffle papers around until they brandish a yellowed piece of paper. "The map," they grin at them. "Was that all?"

"No," Reiner says. "The reward is a thousand pieces of gold coins."

Hange frowns, not understanding. "Yes, this is what I wrote on the job application, I believe."

"Our question is, is it per person, or the finite amount?"

"Oh no, you'll have to share. I'm a witch, not a Monarch," Hange says, waving their hand dismissively.

Reiner and Berthold sent each other a look. Jean fakes not seeing it. "Thank you, Hange," he says, and makes his way out of the door.

__

Eren trails his fingers along the wall. One meter, fifty centimeters, ten, five, one. He throws a leg over the window ledge, ready to come down.

His heart starts to trash in his chest. His breath quickens. His lungs can't seem to take any air. He wants to puke, his blood rushes in his ears. He panics, throws himself back inside.

"Oh, well, it's not like I really wanted to go out anyway..." He says to the ceiling, trying to convince himself.

Armin twirls around his feet, almost tripping him. "Armin! Stop it," Eren shouts. "I almost fell." Armin yips. He looks angry. "What? It's true, I didn't really feel like going outside. There's a bunch of stuff to do here in the tower."

Armin curls up on himself, rolling his eyes. He rests his head on his tail. Eren, stubborn, decides to ignore him, and starts sweeping around the tower. It doesn't take him long as the place is quite small, and he has done it yesterday. And the day before. And the day before that.

And maybe every day for as long as he can remember.

Armin is still on his bed when he comes back, his paw resting on a picture book. Eren brushes the spine. The corners are frayed, the spine is well broken in. He knows what's inside. He could probably describe every detail of the book.

He sits next to Armin who raises his head. Eren pets his head, and Armin makes a small contended sigh.

Eren takes the book, lays it on his lap. He opens it. The pages reveal a painting of the ocean glittering under the sun. The water looks incredibly blue and infinite. "I'd like to see it one day, the ocean," Eren whispers.

Armin climbs over his arm, curls around his neck. He gently rubs his nose against his skin, and Eren pats his head affectionately. "One day, we'll go see it together."

The sound of an old door opening startles him. He hides the book under his cover, puts a pillow over it. Armin dashes under the bed, as far against the wall as he can go.

Zeke is standing in the living room when Eren comes in. A small woman is standing behind him, in old clothes, her shoulders hunched.

Zeke pushes his glasses up his nose, watches Eren. "You know what to do."

"Should I just heal her or-"

"No, no!" The woman interrupts. "I want- Power. I want the power, please."

Eren pulls a chair in the middle of the room, invites the woman to sit. He takes a stool. Zeke, as usual, stands against the wall, watching them. He takes a deep breath and starts singing.

By the end, the woman is breathing heavily, her eyes wide open. She stands up straighter, stronger. Her moves are brusque, jerky.

She leaves, looking dazed, but sure-footed. Zeke, just before following her, squeezes Eren's shoulder. "Your help is truly appreciated. Conquering more land for our people would never be possible without you."

Eren can't help the rush of pride as Zeke compliments him. Eren has always dreamt to please him. He never looks happy, never seems satisfied with Eren's work. Eren feels a bit over the moon, and keeps repeating the words in his head long after Zeke is gone.

__

Jean opens the map. The paper cracks under his fingers, and he grimaces. He wonders where Hange could have gotten it. They are always reminding everyone they are only a witch, but over the years, they've asked so many odd jobs from Jean, he's not quite sure what they are.

He inspects the map. The treasure tower is marked with a small sun, just like the symbol of the realm. Jean has seen many maps in his life. Treasures are rarely indicated with a sun. It doesn't matter, anyway.

Berthold is tending to the fire and Reiner has disappeared in the forest, in search of more firewood.

"So, how did you guys meet?" Jean, trying to make the conversation.

Berthold looks around, as if unsure if Jean is talking to him. "Why- why do you ask me that?" He stutters.

Jean shrugs. "We are going to spend a significant amount of time together, I'm just trying to make conversation."

"Oh," Berthold says, and ducks his head. "We were assigned the same job. Like now... We clicked." He blushes and Jean stares helplessly.

This man, who's as tall as a damn tree, and a seasoned mercenary, is blushing. The worst? He is blushing because of a question Jean asked.

"That's..hum... nice?" he says hesitantly.

The silence after that is awkward. Very awkward. Fortunately, Reiner comes back, announcing his presence with a booming voice. This man is incapable of subtlety, Jean decides.

He smooths the map on a flat rock, as Berthold and Reiner come sit beside him. "We are here." He points at a point on the edge of the Shiganshina Forest. "We will have to go through the forest-" he follows a path with his index "-and find this lake."

"The legend says it is behind a waterfall," Berthold reminds them.

Jean hums thoughtfully. "I wouldn't put too much credit in a legend, but we'll keep an eye for any waterfall. Fine by you?"

"Sounds good to me," Reiner accepts, grinning. He throws his arms around Berthold and Jean's shoulders. "I'm sure we'll be great partners!"

Jean forces himself to smile. It stretches his lips uncomfortably. Berthold doesn't look better, though, red-faced and sweating. "I'm sure we will," Jean confirms, between his lips.

__

"What a bunch of idiots," Jean murmurs as he stands up.

He slowly, very slowly, makes his way to the other side of their camp. In his bag, the map, safe and sound.

Reiner turns around in his makeshift bed. Jean's heart threatens to beat out of his chest. He takes another step, and nothing more happens. He relaxes slightly, and takes a few other steps in the direction of the forest.

He manages to reach the edge of the forest and starts running.

__

Eren opens his blinds with a wide smile. The sun is bright and warm. He dances around the room, picking up various objects he left lying around. Armin happily jumps and rolls around him, as cheerful as his friend.

Eren has made a decision. In three days it's his birthday, and he wants to see the ocean. Zeke can be cold and hard, but he is not heartless. The other day, he praised Eren. That's why Eren has decided to ask him.

He whistles as he changes. His golden eyes staring at him in the mirror don't look so odd, but a familiar sight. He feels good and courageous today.

Zeke comes in with a man. He always brings strangers asking for his powers. Eren doesn't understand why so many people want to be powerful when they could just be healed, but it doesn't really matter.

"Hi!" He greets them brightly. "Zeke, I've got to ask you something!"

Zeke looks slightly taken aback, but doesn't comment on his cheerfulness. "Not now. Take care of our guest first."

Eren doesn't wait before he pulls the usual chair. He pushes the stranger on it, and sits in front of him on the stool. He makes quick work of the song, and rushes the guest away.

"So, will you listen to me now?" He asks, standing in front of Zeke, fidgeting, his arms behind his back.

Zeke crosses his arms. "What is it that you want?"

Now on the spot, Eren can feel his courage leave him. Zeke is tall and broad-shouldered, and could probably reduce him to mashed potatoes if he wanted to. Eren knows what he's going to ask will probably not be received well. He balances from foot to foot. "Well, you know, in three days it's my birthday..."

"I am aware of that," Zeke says, unfazed.

"Yes, so, I wanted to... I mean, I'd like to..hum..."

"Cut to the chase."

Eren looks up to the frightening figure of his guardian. He is staring at Eren from under his thick glasses, the furrow between his eyebrows a proof of his exasperation.

"Just wait a second," Eren blurts out. He runs up to his room and takes his book. He comes back down, and opens the picture book to the page with the sea.

"I want to see the ocean," he declares.

Zeke snatches the book from his hand. "Where did you get that?" He tones.

Eren flinches, and instinctively, his arms come up to protect his face. "One of the people you brought... they left it here," he explains in a broken scared voice.

Zeke grabs the book with two hands, and in one move, rips it in two. Eren watches horrified. He falls on his knees and tries to gather the fallen pages. Paintings and drawing of sand dunes, beautiful forests and white wasteland of ice flutter around him, falling to the ground.

He hugs the pages he's managed to save. He looks up at Zeke. The man stands in front of him from his tall height. Eren has to crane his neck up to see his face.

"No, you cannot go," Zeke refuses, definite. He kneels in front of Eren and grabs his chin, forcing him to look up. "The world is a cruel place, Eren. It will want to steal your power, to use you and then kill you. You cannot go."

Eren nods, slowly. "I understand," he murmurs.

Zeke lets go of his face and stand up. He pats his knees, fixes his glasses. "Good. I'm glad we understood each other." He starts walking toward the exit. "And remember, do not cry."

Eren bends his head. He hears the sound of the door closing behind him. He stares at the window. His eyes are burning. He pinches himself, takes a deep breath.

He cannot cry.

__

Jean follows the map to the end of the forest without any problem. He arrives at a lake. As he looks around, it realizes it small, and in the middle of a plane.

No tower are in sight.

He groans. Obviously, it would have been too easy to just follow the map to the tower. People would have found the treasure years ago if it had been so simple.

He lets himself fall back in the grass. He stares at the blue sky. Birds fly above him, and he follows their movements for a few minutes. The moment is peaceful, and he enjoys it while it lasts.

He opens the map again and raises it above his head. He retraces the journey he's done. He cannot have missed anything on the way, he followed the instructions.

Something on the paper catches his eye. Beside this lake, another one is rather close, and a small crown appears. Jean knows it wasn't here before.

He sits up, puts the map on his lap. He can't see it anymore. He turns it around, tries to blow on it, it doesn't work.

The fuck?

He knows he saw the mark. Maybe if he does exactly what he did earlier, it will work again.

He lays on the grass and brings the map over his head. Sun rays pass through it, turning the paper slightly transparent.

That's when he sees it. Again, the crown appears, a few centimeters off the sun mark. Jean stands up with a jump and whoops.

Damn, he's a genius.

It doesn't take him long to make his way to the second lake. The sun makes the water glint like a million of jewels. Jean could probably appreciate the view any other time. If he finds the treasure, the sun won't reflect on water, but on real jewels.

He grins, excited.

He follows the sound of falling water. Behind a curtain of plants, he finds a lake tucked against a cliff, a waterfall cascading down the rocks.

He slowly walks along the border of the lake. The ground is wet and slippery, and most of the things in his bag would not like a bath.

His hands hurt from grabbing stones and plants to prevent himself from falling. Once he's on safer grounds next to the waterfall, he inspects his fingers. They are littered with small cuts everywhere. He flexes them and hisses.

The wounds sting.

He bandages them as best as he can, and continues his way down the path behind the waterfall.

When he reaches the other side, light blinds him from the long minute he spends in the dark. He blinks, wincing, until he can finally see clearly.

He opens his eyes to a beautiful, fairy-tale worthy scene. The grass is greener than he's ever seen. Flowers are blooming everywhere, butterflies are flying, displaying their pretty colors.

And in the middle of this small part of paradise, a tower covered in ivy.

Feeling like in a dream, Jean steps on the grass. The ground is soft, and the grass looks strangely yummy. If he didn't have himself in check, he'd probably reach down and try eating some.

He strongly hopes it's only the place fucking with his head.

He makes his way to the tower and glances up. From where he stands, he can see an open window. Does someone live in here? It sounds preposterous and quite unlikely.

He checks the solidity of the ivy. It breaks when he pulls too hard, and he won't be able to use it to climb. The tower is made of bricks, though, and it is easy to insert something between the cracks.

  
Jean pulls two small knives from his boots and his belt. He grabs them at the hilt, glad he wrapped his hand earlier.

"Come on, Jean," he cheers himself, "there's a treasure waiting for you up there."

He stabs his knife between the bricks as high as he can, and starts hoisting himself up.

He takes him a good half hour to make his way all the way to the window. He is panting and sweating by the end. He pulls himself inside, and is met with a room full of life.

Someone is indeed living in the tower.

He hears first the echoing noise of something hit by a metallic object. He feels second the pain, and he collapses third.

__

The man falls on the ground with a groan. Eren adjusts his grip on his pan, ready to strike again. He comes closer, and pokes the face of the man with his foot. He doesn't move. He does it again just to be sure, but the trespasser seems clearly unconscious.

His breathing slowly comes back to normal once the shock of seeing someone come in through the window has passed.

Armin yips at him, nosing at the stranger, and then looking back at Eren.

"Oh, god," he realizes. "You are right, we cannot let Zeke see him."

He quickly looks around, glances around to find a place to hide him. his gaze settles on a big wardrobe.

Eren grabs the stranger by his shirt, and starts pulling him across the room. He almost trips several times, but manages to drag him against the wooden furniture.

He lets him fall back on the floor and inspects the man and the wardrobe thoughtfully. "I need to make sure he doesn't come back. What if he wakes up when he's inside?"

Armin runs to a chest and scratches at it. Eren remembers the rope it contains. He grins. "Good idea, Armin."

He ties the man, makes sure he cannot move. With difficulty, he pulls him over his shoulder, and shoves him in the wardrobe. He closes it behind himself and ties another piece of rope around the handle, just in case.

He cleans everything up. He hides the satchel of the man, and sits at the table to paint, trying to look as innocent as possible.

Zeke comes in a little later, bringing food. He is alone for once.

"How was your morning, Eren?" He asks.

"Uneventful."

Zeke nods, and starts cleaning up what he bought. "Have you thought about a birthday present?"

Eren's hand stills over his work. He bites his lips and slowly exhales from his nose. "I have," he says slowly. "I'd like you to bring me a... fairy tale book. One I haven't read yet, with pretty pictures."

He turns around and sends a smile to Zeke.

"That sounds reasonable," his guardian says. Eren doesn't miss the tone, controlled, a little bit pleased.

"I will be back in three days," Zeke informs him. "I'll give you your books then."

Eren smiles. "See you."

He waves from the window to hide the fact that he's waiting for the moment Zeke disappears from his view.

Eren scrambles to the wardrobe and opens it.

__

Jean falls face first on the floor and groans in pain. The stone are cold under his cheek.

"Shit," he hears a male voice says, and a moment later, someone straightens him up.

In front of him, a beautiful boy with bronze skin, golden eyes, and a pan, looking fierce and determined. "Don't try anything shady, I am armed."

"With a pan?" Jean says in disbelief.

"I knocked you out earlier."

Jean got knocked out by a fucking pan-wielding idiot. He sighs loudly. "Listen, Bright Eyes, I am looking for a treasure. I was hired by someone to find it."

"There is no treasure here," the boy says, frowning. "How did you even find me? This tower is hidden. Are you after my eyes? I know your kind, thieves, thugs, and bandits. How did you come? Magic, or maybe alchemy?"

Jean blinks. "On foot?" He answers, not quite sure about the meaning of the rest.

"Liar!" The boy accuses, and brandishes his pan over his head.

"Fine, fine, fine!" Jean shouts to stop him. Getting hit by kitchen appliances is not something he'd like to retry. "A witch hired my to find a treasure. They gave me a map. It's in my bag."

Eren scrambles to get the bag. He opens it and indeed finds a map. "My tower isn't on it," he notes, and frowns at Jean suspiciously.

Jean sighs. As if it was his fault the map had a secret inscription. "Put it under the sun."

Eren brings the paper to the window. With a little gasp, he discovers the little crown, exactly where his tower is. "He tells the truth," he whispers to Armin.

Armin nods. He makes a pensive face. He jumps suddenly away to bring back the loose drawing of the sea from Eren's book. "What do you mean?" Eren asks. Armin pushes the picture at him again, and looks purposefully at the stranger. Eren finally gets it.

He turns around and faces the man.

"Bring me to the ocean and I will give you the treasure."

"No," Jean refuses instantly. The kid looks like he's never left the tower. He's just too much trouble. Even his pretty face won't sway him.

"I just want to go to the ocean," the kid begs. "You show me the ocean, you bring me back, and you can have anything you want."

Jean tries very, very hard to resist his big golden puppy eyes. "Fuck," he curses. God, he is weak and definitely not straight enough for this mission. The promise of treasure doesn't help either. "You win, Bright Eyes. I'll bring you to your damn ocean."

"Yes!" Eren cheers. "And stop calling me Bright Eyes, my name is Eren."

"Well, Eren, my name is Jean, and I would awfully appreciate if you untied me."

"Oh, right, sorry," Eren apologizes, sheepish, and goes to work.


End file.
